Hi, My name is Brenden, I am a young entrepreneur who has stumbled across some old pinball machines for sale. I have no idea what they are worth or what I should buy and sell them for, the only information I can provide is the manufacturers and the theme of the machines. Any advice or possible buying and selling opportunities are welcome.
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The Machines that I have for sale:
Gottlieb "Airport" (1969)
Williams "Hot Tip"(1977)
Bally "Lady Luck" (1986)
Gottlieb "Pro Football" (1973)
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Located in Las Vegas, NV

You know anything about EM machines? If not you are in way over your head if you plan to flip these. While pinball may be hot, people with only a casual interest and people new to the hobby have little to no interest in those. If they work 100% and are immaculate maybe you can make a profit, maybe. The people that want them want to fix them up and will not pay whatever mark up you plan on adding to them.

I wouldn't say he's wasting his time...if the machines are in decent condition and working or nearly working and he gets them for $50 each then he'll be able to resell them for a bit of a profit. It really depends on what he's looking to do. If he's looking to buy and flip for a few bucks then knowing what they're worth will certainly help him in that regard. If he's looking to get into the hobby then starting with some affordable EM games isn't a bad way to start.

Also, you shouldn't say they are for sale if you don't even own them yet.

I have the intention to buy I was just not sure what to pay for them I plan on flipping these machines as quick as possible. Also I dont know anything about EM Machines, could you offer some advice possibly?

I wouldn't say he's wasting his time...if the machines are in decent condition and working or nearly working and he gets them for $50 each then he'll be able to resell them for a bit of a profit. It really depends on what he's looking to do. If he's looking to buy and flip for a few bucks then knowing what they're worth will certainly help him in that regard. If he's looking to get into the hobby then starting with some affordable EM games isn't a bad way to start.

It's all about the motivation...

Dave

Maybe I am being negative seeing how he joined Pinside today, says he has found machines he plans to buy and then sell, most likely has no idea how to work on them....

I wouldn't say he's wasting his time...if the machines are in decent condition and working or nearly working and he gets them for $50 each then he'll be able to resell them for a bit of a profit. It really depends on what he's looking to do. If he's looking to buy and flip for a few bucks then knowing what they're worth will certainly help him in that regard. If he's looking to get into the hobby then starting with some affordable EM games isn't a bad way to start.
It's all about the motivation...
Dave

I appreciate the support dave thank you. You sound like you know a thing or two about this subject, would you care to share your knowledge?

In that case you should buy the airport for 1,000$ easily worth 2,000$.
Hot tip is very rare, buy that for 3,000$ easily worth 5,000$
Buy Lady Luck for 1,500$ you can probably sell it for 2,200$
Pro Football has a very popular sports theme and the designer is very famous buy for 2,500 and you can probably get 3,700$

where is my market to sell though? I've heard that these machines are only worth up to $600 dollars in a retail setting so where do I find collectors, like yourself possibly, who would pay that kind of money for these machines?

Well, now that we know that you're just looking to flip them and we know that you don't really know anything about EM games, it really comes down to condition and the price you can get them for. As others have stated, EM games generally don't sell for a lot and the ones you've listed are just everyday common games that nobody's going to get excited about. So, if you can pick them up for $50 each and they're in decent cosmetic shape (we'll assume they don't work) you can certainly make a bit of money by selling them for more than you paid. How much more will depend on the condition they're in.

It would seem rather obvious that coming here to sell them probably isn't going to work for you but there are other venues available to sell them once you get them. You're definitely not going to get rich flipping these but there might be a bit of money to be made.

Well, now that we know that you're just looking to flip them and we know that you don't really know anything about EM games, it really comes down to condition and the price you can get them for. As others have stated, EM games generally don't sell for a lot and the ones you've listed are just everyday common games that nobody's going to get excited about. So, if you can pick them up for $50 each and they're in decent cosmetic shape (we'll assume they don't work) you can certainly make a bit of money by selling them for more than you paid. How much more will depend on the condition they're in.
It would seem rather obvious that coming here to sell them probably isn't going to work for you but there are other venues available to sell them once you get them. You're definitely not going to get rich flipping these but there might be a bit of money to be made.
Dave

Right, and I can appreciate that I wont make millions of dollars on these machines but I gotta ask, do you know of any venues where I might ne able to sell these?

He is only wasting his time if he can not sell them for more then he pays. Depending on the cost he may be able to make money doing nothing but reselling them. If the profit is not very high then he will have to decide if moving a game from here to there is worth the profit. I have bought games for $150 and sold them for $300 without doing anything to the game. I have decided the $150 profit is only worth it if I am unemployed . Sometimes time is money.

Part of being an entrepreneur is not asking people on public forums filled with experts on the topic how much you should buy and then sell the games to with no work in them. you need to find a niche avenue to sell to and go from. There.

I'd say poke around these forums, learn a bit, buy games, fix them up nice, profit. Good luck!

There is a pinball museum/arcade in one of the older casinos. You are allowed in there because its seperate from the casino and more in the hotel area. I would go there and see who manages the machines there. I would contact that person and ask some questions, about repairing, cost, and anything else you can think of.
Older EMs are not worth a lot of money. They are bulky and parts aren't easy to come by. Don't expect to walk in to pawn stars and get offered a lot of money for them. But its nice to see someone who might put some effort into repairing and restoring them. Give them some new life.

Cut the kid some slack, I encourage people to try and make a buck and put some effort into it. Just because he doesn't know anything about the pins doesn't mean he is in over his head. IF he got them cheap enough he can easily make money and for some reason you all seem to think that is a crime. You all need to get off your high horse and either offer some friendly, helpful advice or move on to the next thread.

Cut the kid some slack, I encourage people to try and make a buck and put some effort into it. Just because he doesn't know anything about the pins doesn't mean he is in over his head. IF he got them cheap enough he can easily make money and for some reason you all seem to think that is a crime. You all need to get off your high horse and either offer some friendly, helpful advice or move on to the next thread.

Please do not lump me in with "you all seem to think that is a crime". I have no issue with anyone "flipping" a pin.

Cut the kid some slack, I encourage people to try and make a buck and put some effort into it. Just because he doesn't know anything about the pins doesn't mean he is in over his head. IF he got them cheap enough he can easily make money and for some reason you all seem to think that is a crime. You all need to get off your high horse and either offer some friendly, helpful advice or move on to the next thread.

I agree. He asked a simple question. One can give advice or ignore, no need to bash. He should be encouraged to try and put the pins back in circulation. Everyone has to start somewhere.

Part of being an entrepreneur is not asking people on public forums filled with experts on the topic how much you should buy and then sell the games to with no work in them. you need to find a niche avenue to sell to and go from. There.

I'd say poke around these forums, learn a bit, buy games, fix them up nice, profit. Good luck!

I am all for helping people, but this person clearly has no interest in the hobby. He joined the forum yesterday saying he has pins to sell even though he has not bought them yet, which to me is just bad business. He says over and over again that all he wants to do is sell them and flip them as fast as possible, he has no knowledge and wants us to hold his hand through the whole process purely so he can make money. I don't see why anyone should help him. You know who I would rather see buy these pins? Someone who has a genuine interest in them! Its fine if you want to buy a pin to sell it but to me I don't like the idea that you are making money simply be being "first". You know this means he is trying to take advantage of someone else who does not know what they are worth. Before I bought a pinball machine I did months of research on what would be required of me after getting one and what they were worth.

If the OP were going to buy them, FIX them, refurbish them and sell them for a profit I would say go for it, you have a lot of work ahead of you, but you will earn it. If the OP was going to buy them and play them and enjoy them for a while, I would say go for it. I have made a small profit off the one pin I sold, bit that was after enjoying it for a year and doing a ton of work on it.

If find it frankly a little insulting, I may be new to the hobby having only started owning and fixing pinballs in the last year, and I have done a ton of work to gain the knowledge I have. I LOVE helping new people that are PASSIONATE about pinball get into the hobby. I will give whatever advice I can all day long to someone looking to buy their first machine. But I will be damned if I am going to help somone make a quick and easy buck off of me.

Everyone complains that prices are so high, this is a huge reason why.

Practical steve: I sort of agree, I hate flippers too, but these aren't exactly choice titles either. Maybe he'll end up buying them for too much and end up losing money (especially if u don't know what to look for). I say better they get in some collectors hands than the dumpster (which a casino wouldn't think twice about doing and taking a tax break)

I am all for helping people, but this person clearly has no interest in the hobby. He joined the forum yesterday saying he has pins to sell even though he has not bought them yet, which to me is just bad business. He says over and over again that all he wants to do is sell them and flip them as fast as possible, he has no knowledge and wants us to hold his hand through the whole process purely so he can make money. I don't see why anyone should help him. You know who I would rather see buy these pins? Someone who has a genuine interest in them! Its fine if you want to buy a pin to sell it but to me I don't like the idea that you are making money simply be being "first". You know this means he is trying to take advantage of someone else who does not know what they are worth. Before I bought a pinball machine I did months of research on what would be required of me after getting one and what they were worth.
If the OP were going to buy them, FIX them, refurbish them and sell them for a profit I would say go for it, you have a lot of work ahead of you, but you will earn it. If the OP was going to buy them and play them and enjoy them for a while, I would say go for it. I have made a small profit off the one pin I sold, bit that was after enjoying it for a year and doing a ton of work on it.
If find it frankly a little insulting, I may be new to the hobby having only started owning and fixing pinballs in the last year, and I have done a ton of work to gain the knowledge I have. I LOVE helping new people that are PASSIONATE about pinball get into the hobby. I will give whatever advice I can all day long to someone looking to buy their first machine. But I will be damned if I am going to help somone make a quick and easy buck off of me.
Everyone complains that prices are so high, this is a huge reason why.

I will keep it short and say "I understand your sentiment here".

This has to be one of the worst threads ever...

Advice to the entrepreneur: Buy low, sell high. Its up to you to put in the time to figure out how to do this.

Hi, My name is Brenden, I am a young entrepreneur who has stumbled across some old pinball machines for sale. I have no idea what they are worth or what I should buy and sell them for, the only information I can provide is the manufacturers and the theme of the machines. Any advice or possible buying and selling opportunities are welcome.
------------
The Machines that I have for sale:
Gottlieb "Airport" (1969)
Williams "Hot Tip"(1977)
Bally "Lady Luck" (1986)
Gottlieb "Pro Football" (1973)
-----------
Located in Las Vegas, NV

I'm not too far from Vegas and, for the right price wouldn't mind looking at a couple of these. Like others have said though, not a lot to be excited about. If you end up not getting these maybe let me know if they are still available.

1. the people quoting you thousands of dollars for these pins are pulling your leg (in case that wasn't obvious ).

2. there's nothing at all wrong with being a young entrepeneur looking for opportunities. good for you. but the point of capitalism (or at least the reason it WORKS so well) is that it incentivises providing a product or service that is of value to others. Flipping stuff doesn't really do much towards that end. be they homes or pinball machines or oil futures, flipping does more harm to the free market than good, and is a major contributor to most bubbles and market crashes. (and spoiler alert, in the particular case of these machines, you're probably looking at a lot of headache and toil for a slim profit, in my opinion).

3. coming on to a website full of people who are passionate about pinball and asking advice for how best to make the most money off of them for the least effort is bound to ellicit snarky responses. in general, the people here are more than glad to help out fellow pinball enthusiasts.

jokerinthedark, just a few comments:
1. the people quoting you thousands of dollars for these pins are pulling your leg (in case that wasn't obvious ).
2. there's nothing at all wrong with being a young entrepeneur looking for opportunities. good for you. but the point of capitalism (or at least the reason it WORKS so well) is that it incentivises providing a product or service that is of value to others. Flipping stuff doesn't really do much towards that end. be they homes or pinball machines or oil futures, flipping does more harm to the free market than good, and is a major contributor to most bubbles and market crashes. (and spoiler alert, in the particular case of these machines, you're probably looking at a lot of headache and toil for a slim profit, in my opinion).
3. coming on to a website full of people who are passionate about pinball and asking advice for how best to make the most money off of them for the least effort is bound to ellicit snarky responses. in general, the people here are more than glad to help out fellow pinball enthusiasts.
4. good luck!

Flipping pins, homes, or anything for that matter is a perfectly fine example of capitalism. The added value is bringing a product to market. Part of the value can, but does not have to be improving the product before the flip. The housing bubble was based on risky loans backed by the government. That is a very different thing.

not if the product is already on the market. during the housing boom, for example, people who were going to live in homes were competing directly against people who were buying only to flip a few months later (30% of buyers were flippers by some estimates in 2003). The flippers were huge contributors to the rise in home prices (30% of demand was essentially artificial), which was the real cause of the mess: the seemingly-unstoppable rise in home values was at the very root of why all the shady practices arose in that sector. when the value keeps going up, you can make increasingly riskier and riskier bets, which is exactly what the mortgage companies did, not just by issuing loans to people they shouldn't have (and assuring them that if they got in trouble, they could always just mortgage against the equity that they would inevitably gain from the always-rising value of the home), but by doing all kinds of risky things with those loans as well. but it all had its root cause in prices that were rising at unsustainable rates, due in no small part to artificially inflated demand from flippers.

hot tip and lady luck are the only two I would even consider. I would pay about 100 each as long as they were complete. If they are pristine, of course i would pay more. But how could I take your word on condition? You admittedly know nothing about them.

not if the product is already on the market. during the housing boom, for example, people who were going to live in homes were competing directly against people who were buying only to flip a few months later (30% of buyers were flippers by some estimates in 2003). The flippers were huge contributors to the rise in home prices (30% of demand was essentially artificial), which was the real cause of the mess: the seemingly-unstoppable rise in home values was at the very root of why all the shady practices arose in that sector. when the value keeps going up, you can make increasingly riskier and riskier bets, which is exactly what the mortgage companies did, not just by issuing loans to people they shouldn't have (and assuring them that if they got in trouble, they could always just mortgage against the equity that they would inevitably gain from the always-rising value of the home), but by doing all kinds of risky things with those loans as well. but it all had its root cause in prices that were rising at unsustainable rates, due to artificially inflated demand from flippers.

You can go back much further then the 90's to the root cause. Anyway, the OP has not indicated plans on buying his pins with someone else's money. Abandoning thread now......dive, dive, dive.

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